Drug Use Should Be Legal in America

By John W., Grand Junction, CO

Next year, America will have undergone two changes that seem to run counter to each other. Absinthe will be legal, while the hallucinogen salvia is currently in the process of becoming illegal in the states. While absinthe has long been maligned as a hideous threat to life and society, salvia is known to be rather harmless unless smoked or chewed in very high doses. However, the potential for harm with any drugs does not conern me. What does is their legal status. I think that all drugs (including cigarettes, alcohol and even meth) should be made legal for anybody 18 years or older. Drug legalization will not cause the downfall of society, it could easily save some lives and it would cerainly put more money in government coffers, allowing more funding for things like road improvement, technology research and education. First things first. Alcohol was once abhorred to the point of being banned in America, on the grounds that it would cause irreparable damage to the structure of society. As we all learn in school, Prohibition didn't last all that long. Since alcohol was re-legalized, it has clearly not destroyed the U.S. Alcohol use is generally not allowed at most workplaces, and such would be the case with any other drug. Also prominent is the fact that many drugs which are prohibited in America are not in the Netherlands. Dutch society is not some hellish, broken world and Holland is a thriving first world country. I am skeptical (to say the least) that letting people eat magic mushrooms will kill America. This is probably a good time to address methamphetamine. My opinion is that if someone is stupid enough to cook up things like cough syrup, ammonia and lithium, then smoke the product, those people might not be the most valuable members of society anyway. They can go right ahead and mess up their lives. Drug legalization would, on the other hand, be able to save many other lives. Just like with cigarettes and alcohol, the government could regulate production and prices of any drugs. Varying potencies and warnings could be established. If drug strength and content were regulated and drugs legalized, manufacturers who make drugs in unhealthy ways would become obsolete and drug use might easily become much safer. Legal drugs would also allow the government to collect more taxes. More government funds can spell more money being spent on improvements in fields such as education, transportation and technology research. Drug use should be legal in America. It would benefit the government and not harm the populace.

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First off this is so ignorant and nonchalant! Although this is a great argument at the end of the day legalizing drugs in America is ridiculous. Saying “It would benefit the government and not harm the populace.” Is wrong on so many levels. First off the government could profit off the taxes of these drugs, but the taxes would continually increase over time because it would be like a new staple product in the U.S. Soon the people could not afford because of the sky rocketing prices being hel... (more »)

First, this article was extremely interesting even if I did not agree with it. It makes some valid points, but I have some problems with it. It seems to me that this article lacks any real analysis other than a wave of opinion. Some of these opinions are also very poorly thought out such as the one about methamphetamine and how these "stupid" people are not the most valuable members of society. This degrades these kind of people so much and who would want to ask... (more »)

I'm glad to see how many people here agree with this paper. I find it absolutely ridiculous how society is so desensitized to alcohol and cigarettes and are fine with those being legal. But drugs that have shown to have no physical dependence as well as very low psychological dependence, such as mushrooms, marijuana, and LSD, are abhorrant, and people who use them are scum. It is a felony to so much as possess LSD in the united states, and I find that this is such a gross violation of the &q... (more »)

I would have to disagree with this article. I think it is a matter of morals vs. economy vs. freedom. While I can see where you're coming from that consumerism through drugs would stimulate the economy, should our governement really endorse something that consistently jeopardizes thousands of lives for the sake of "freedom?" You say yourself that the people taking hard drugs like meth "might not be the most valuble people in society," so why, should we encourage them to d... (more »)

I kind of agree and kind of disagree. I think that drugs that have not been proven to greatly harm people such as marijuana should be legalized. Drugs such as alcohol and tobacco should stay legal due to the fact that they cause addcition and making them illegal will raise hell. Drugs such as meth and hallucinogens should however NOT be legalized do to how many deaths they have caused. Just because it is someone's choice to try and ruin their life, doesn't mean the government should make... (more »)

I agree 100% with this article. The legal status of a drug does not prevent anyone from using. I choose to smoke marijuana on occasion, althought this is illegal, and have never touched tobacco in my life, because I understand its dangers. If drugs were legal, more people wouldn't do them, just less people would die of overdoses. Also more people could go to detox and curb their addiction rather than dying or spending their lives in jail. Thank you for having some sense! It is quite ref... (more »)

Cannabis has been used medicinally by almost every society it has been a part of for the last 4 thousand years. And up, until the 1920s or 30s, it was in every single medical text book you could find. To spout ignorance about it simply being used to numb pain is asinine and uneducated. I highly recommend you actually do some research on marijuana from, generally, unbiased resources before you go on about all that "sh#%" which some of us call facts.

The only drug in my opinion that should be legal is Marijuana. Its natural and NO ONE has died from pot. People get it medically! It helps cancer patents eat and relax. I know when i used to smoke pot, i never got angry or went on a rampage. Ive never seen anyone get angry on pot. Now with Meth and herion?...I do not see how that is safe for anyone.

I don't intend to be a jerk but I have to tell you that it is actually a proven fact that thousands of people have died from the use of pot and the only reason that it is legalized for hospitic use is because if someone has a deathly illness that will kill the in the future the drug pot, can be used to lessen pain.